Prepare for the Future
by Fyras14
Summary: "The moment the bombs fell…I knew my life was over…We were all prepared for the future…but not for what came after…" FALLOUT 4 Novelization. Beware of spoilers.
1. Out of Time, Out of Place

_The end of the world was upon us…or so it was said, but in those days people were stuck in their own little worlds._

 _It wasn't so different with me and Nate; he was in the army and I…I was in school…too cowardly to join him in the battlefield…too soft, he'll say with a smile. The nerve of that guy…but I loved him all the same. And he was right. I was too soft for my own good…still, I—no we—preserved._

 _Even so, life was going to hell. Shortages, power struggles, you name it…everything was going to hell. Still, it wasn't all bad…most of the time._

 _People would try to get along despite the chaos…despite the war…despite the death…it was nice._

 _But life had other plans that day…_

 _We had barely turned our life around for the better…Nate retired and I was ready to begin my career…and our son…our little boy…he would have a better life…and then…_

 _It was too late for us…and I didn't even see it coming—all those warnings…all those threats…all those…_

 _It was already too late for us…too late to make a family…too late to make plans…too late to live our lives…_

 _The moment the bombs fell…I knew my life was over…_

 _We were all prepared for the future…but not for what came after…_

* * *

' _Make friends, not enemies', was my teacher's motto. Too bad the rest of the world didn't listen._

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Out of Time, Out of Place**

The burning in her chest was almost unbearable; it didn't help much when she hit the floor. She let out a loud groan that came out as a cough instead as she felt the cold concrete. A coughing fit soon ensued and she tried very hard not to throw up.

Everything hurt.

The light burned her eyes, the air was cold and miserable and her coughing fit was making her sick. Her body was a numbing mess and she hated it. Not only that but she was rather damp and wondered why in the world she felt the need to take a cold shower. The last time she had had a cold shower was years ago when she was just starting college and the jerk of a professor decided to give them a surprise test—it had been a bad idea all the same. She passed the test but ended up sick with hypothermia.

Her husband almost chewed her head off when he heard about it.

(He was sweet that way; he would remind her that for all her intellect, she was bad at planning and decision-making and yet she married him. Not that either of them complained. And she'll never regret her decision ever since.)

She only hoped she wasn't getting sick with all this cold about. The last thing she wanted was to catch hypothermia a second time without knowing what was going on...if anything was. She couldn't really remember and she'll probably not find out anytime soon.

She tried to get up, barely succeeding before she tripped and fell, arms stretched in front of her to avoid hitting her face against the metal. She leaned against a strange machine. It was cold to the touch. Had she not been distracted with her pain and balance, she would have noticed similar contraptions nearby, even one behind her that lay open and inviting as if arguing her to come back in.

But she ignored them all as she was busy catching her breath to care or notice.

Her memories were still fuzzy and she couldn't remember where she was or why it was so damned cold. She closed her eyes and leaned closer to the cold machine. She breath in and out and tried to relax. She needed to think and remember; what had she been doing?

She finally looked up and found to her amazement that she could see inside the machine; a small window showed a chair and a strange man inside of it. He was young but not too old and wore a blue jumpsuit—similar to hers—she also noticed a bit of red near his neck but she didn't think to much about it. He looked odd too, with white dust all over him. But he looked so peaceful, she noticed. His head was to the side, eyes closed and uncaring to the woman that was watching him.

For some reason, the man was so familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

There was something about him...something that was missing...something that...

She closed her eyes again and began to think once more.

Questions. Answers.

She had none; but her body was feeling better now and the fog inside her head was almost gone and—

And then it happened.

The memories came not in pieces as before but in chunks.

Nate. Shaun. The bombs. The vault. Those...those people...!

"No...no...no...no!"

She was hysterical now. She punched against the glass in an effort to break it and when that didn't work, she tried to find an opening.

She needed to get her husband out of there! He was hurt! He needed medical attention!

(She remembered everything now...the bombs...how they had fallen...how they had ran towards this vault...and just minutes later those people came and stole her son as they shot her husband...)

He couldn't be dead! He just couldn't be!

But she could see the blood now, frozen in place, finally noticing how it coated most of that blue suit.

She could try crying all she wanted but she knew in the bottom of her heart that Nate was gone. He was dead, killed by a bullet from a stranger as her child was taken by—no...no...no...!

The woman turned to call for help and then stopped. She finally noticed the row of machines, finally remembered how they were asked to step inside. She could see the people now. They all looked like they had gone to sleep but no, that was all wrong. They looked like frozen meat.

They all looked dead.

"...oh...my...god...what...what is happening...? What...?" she turned to the machine Nate was trapped in and tried to find an opening. Anything. "I gotta get him out! I gotta get him out! Oh god! This isn't happening! Please! Just let me get him out!" But she couldn't. She had punched and pushed every button she could find on that god-forsaken metal cocoon but nothing worked.

She felt the cold again and collapsed to her knees as she leaned against the machine.

Nate was trapped.

He was trapped and gone.

Everyone was gone but her.

Just her.

"No...no...this...this is not...happening...oh god...no..."

 **111-111-111-111**

She didn't know how long she sat there crying.

Her mind replayed the scene in her head over and over again; her husband was dead and her child had been taken. Her little Shaun, stripped from Father's arms while Mama watched. How sad. She had tried to help but she vaguely remember a laugh and then silence. The next thing she knew she had fallen down and now this.

She knew she had to get herself under control. She needed to stop crying sometime soon and find the bastard that killed her husband and took her child...but where to start?

She knew she couldn't call the proper authorities...they were all gone as far as she could recall. The bombs had seen to that. And the vault seemed to be empty from the exception of the dead but they couldn't help her anymore.

Her son was gone and the only clue she had was her own damn memories...days could have passed by now, maybe months and still she wouldn't be able to put two and two together and find her son.

She didn't even know if time still existed outside this vault (or why it was so empty and so dead).

She wasn't sure about anything.

She didn't know why everything had frozen over and why everyone was gone; she only knew her child had been taken and that her husband was dead. Dead and gone and she was cold.

No one had come when she had cried out. And she knew they wouldn't.

Yet, a part of her told her to move. She couldn't stay in the cold any longer than she had to. She needed to find Shaun. She needed to—

A hissing sound echoed around the cold room making the woman look up. She jumped when she noticed the strange creature that had hissed and backed away.

She couldn't believe her eyes...was that...a giant cockroach!? How...!? Why!? WHAT?

Noticing her for the first time, the giant bug jumped towards her. The woman let out a frightened yelped and moved out of the way as the bug slammed against the pod that held Nate. It let out another hiss and turned its small head towards the woman who was on her back and slowly backing away. It jumped again but the woman was quicker this time and managed to kick the thing right before it could do anything.

She was up and running past the thing towards the exit.

She knew she shouldn't leave Nate behind but she didn't have much of a choice now. She was scared and her son was gone and Nate...Nate was dead. And now giant cockroaches were out to get her.

This had to be a dream...right? A terrible nightmare...

...But no. Nate was still dead and Shaun was still missing and that freaking thing was real and it had friends. A lot of friends.

O _h…Taylor…what have you gotten yourself into…_

 **111-111-111-111**

She didn't know what was worse; the cockroaches or the skeletons.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that those freaking bugs were out to get her. She had been bitten once too many by the little buggers. And the hissing sounds had not been comforting. She was getting used to them now even if she didn't want to. At least Taylor could take some comfort in the fact that they went down just as easily as the ones she was used to seeing...these bigger ones just required a metal bar on their tiny heads to finish the job.

So no, the cockroaches weren't the worst but she couldn't say she liked looking at skeletons either.

Maybe she should feel a bit sorry for the poor bastards but she wasn't.

She knew now what they had done and that made her blood boil just thinking about it; an experiment, huh! How nice...oh! it didn't go your way!? Well, fuck everything! The food is almost gone! That asshole of an overseer won't have his way! Oh, just leave the poor bastards behind while we run to get irradiated. No freaking deal! But what about her family!? What about her neighbors and all those people they lied to!? They were dead, gone!

No...she didn't feel sorry for them at all.

Coming here had been a mistake and it took too long for Taylor to realize it. But why would she? That salesman had made it seemed so...safe...her family would be safe...even if the whole world went through her but at least they could rebuild their lives again. But no. They had been tricked and played with and now everyone was dead and her son was gone.

They were supposed to be safe here but Taylor just sighed as she stepped over another skeleton and muttered under her breath, "Most sophisticated vault my ass..."

Despite it all, the remains of the bastards had told Taylor a few things. For one, she knew her time in the vault had been more than a few days. Maybe a few months or years, she wasn't quite sure but she knew from reading all those books back in college that a body doesn't just decompose from one day to the next. A complicated process takes place for all the pieces to come together and reveal the bones underneath the skin and from the looks of things, these skeletons had been here for a while. If any skin had remained it had been scrubbed cleaned by those giant cockroaches.

Still it wasn't much of a good thing.

She still didn't how long it had been since that pair of killers took Shaun. The bodies had probably been here for years and even knowing that wasn't enough to tell her anything. For all she knew, years had passed since Shaun was taken (but she tried not to think too much about that).

She needed to get out of this vault.

She needed to find her son and...and kill that son of a bitch that had killed her husband.

Taylor knew it was wrong but she didn't care, she was going to get her son back all the same.

* * *

A/N: Edit 11/18


	2. When Freedom Calls

_When freedom comes, open the gates to victory._

* * *

 **Chapter 2: When Freedom Calls**

Taylor was back where it all started; she could still remember the fake smiles and lies like it was yesterday.

How she hated that.

And now, she was back where it all started.

The roaches had been dealt with a while back with the pistol she had found in a desk—she had missed her shots most of the time and the recoil had hurt her arm and she would sadly wonder if this is how Nate felt when he shot a firearm—and now she was here.

(She remembered the bastard with his smile and his nice white coat telling them that everything would be alright.)

Taylor was in front of a large vault-like door; she didn't recall seeing this before.

 _Probably because it was opened before,_ she thought as she walked towards the small platform with the control panel, carefully avoiding the remains of the Vaul-Tec personnel. She examined the control panel for a while and frowned.

"Okay…how do I…hmm…" Taylor slammed a finger on a nearby socket. "…Seems like it needs a key of some sorts…but I don't see any—ack!" The young woman almost tripped over the skeleton as she was moved backwards but managed to grab hold of the control panel before it could end in tragedy. She glared down at the pack of bones as if it was its fault for her clumsiness. But then she noticed it.

There was something on that skeleton's loose hand…could it be?

Taylor leaned over and grabbed the small machine as quickly as possible involuntarily flinching as the hand fell down from its perch.

"Is this thing working?" she asked no one as she pressed the small 'ON' button and cleaned the screen with her hand. A small clicking sound resonated from within the small machine as the screen turned on and a small cartoon boy gave Taylor the 'thumbs up' pose before a whole set of menus appeared in the screen. She noticed the small Geiger counter near the screen and then nodded. "…so this is a Pip-Boy, huh?"

She had heard about these things.

Back before the war, they were considered the best in portable computers. Her old classmate, Lulu, would always brag about the small little thing she carried with her at all times. The young woman could still remember what Lulu would say about her little pocket machine, "It has a map! A journal! And oh! A radio! Can you believe it!? It's the best study buddy you can have!"

This one however didn't look like the ones Taylor was used to seeing back in school. Those were a small handheld tablet compared to these and in contrast to the one Lulu would use for studying, this Pip-Boy seem a little bit more advanced. For one thing, she didn't recall seeing a Geiger counter or a heart monitor—currently informing Taylor that someone was very dead.

She glanced at the Pip-Boy and examined it up and down. She noticed a small adapter plug on the underside of the screen and smiled.

Taylor attached the Pip-Boy to her wrist and then, just as quickly, pulled out the small plug from behind the small machine and put the adapter into the socket. She turned to look at the Pip-Boy as the words, 'Access Granted', appeared on the screen. She heard another click and pushed the red button with all her might and then she heard it.

The elevator was coming down.

 **111-111-111-111**

She didn't know what to expect once she was outside.

Taylor expected complete and total isolation like in those movies she and Nate used to watch all the time. Perhaps she expected a big hole on the ground somewhere and unending sandstorms coupled with black rain.

She didn't get any of that when the elevator took her outside.

The world was…mildly intact.

The trees were still there, otherwise quite dead, but still there all the same. She could see buildings in the distance, all intact as if nothing had happened. She could faintly hear water nearby and a few odd bird calls here and there.

No, this wasn't the world those movies had depicted so long ago.

This world was still pretty much alive, if rather isolated and full of the dead.

Taylor tried to avoid looking at the bodies as she made her way outside the small fenced area—or what was left of it anyway.

She saw them all. The bodies of the soldiers and Vault-Tec security and that big man in Power Armor was laying there on the ground, his polished armor now but a rusty shell of its former self.

As she walked away from the fences and military dead, she saw them. A line of skeletons, all waiting to get in to a vault, now scattered on the ground like useless marionettes.

(A part of her envied the dead, for at least, they were dead and gone but not her, who was still living and miserable.)

When she finally arrived at Sanctuary, she gasped.

Sanctuary Hills was still here…but the grass was gone, trees had fallen over, cars had rusted, houses had been torn and buried in debris and…

Everything was gone.

Everything was just gone, broken, destroyed.

This had been her future and like her husband it was already dead and gone.

Taylor had a hand on her face as she walked towards the ruins.

She just wanted to get back home.

 **111-111-111-111**

"It's…it's really you!"

Perhaps she should have expected to see the Mr. Handy again, but then again even she was just as surprised as the robot before her.

Codsworth was alive and well…well, as far as she could see, despite the lack of color in his metal shell and the…bullet holes…he seemed just fine. Well, as fine as a robot could be anyway.

"Codsworth…ah…how, what…?"

"Ah madam! It is good to see you again! It has been absolutely dreadful! Absolutely dreadful!" the robot cried out. "I'm so happy to see you, again! My, my…it's been quite a while!"

"I…umm…yes…yes it has been…but…um…" How could she say this…? "What…what happened…to the world?"

"The world, madam?" Codsworth repeated, sounding momentarily confused before letting out a small laugh. "Well…besides our geraniums still being the envy of Sanctuary Hills, I'm afraid things have been dreadfully dull around here."

"…what do you—"

"But things will be so much more exciting now that you and sir are back, eh!"

Taylor smiled sadly.

She never thought a robot could be so happy to see her and now she didn't know whether to cry or laugh at the silliness of it all (and the constant reminder that Nate was dead and Shaun was gone).

"Where is your better half, by the by, mum?" Codsworth asked, sounding confused.

Taylor blinked at the question, before she just collapsed to her knees and sighed. She was tired.

"Mum!?"

"…he's gone…they…they killed him…"

"What…?" Codsworth was confused for a second before he said, "Ah Mum…these…these things you're saying…these terrible things…I…I believe you need a distraction. Yes! A distraction, to calm this dire mood..."

"Codsworth, listen I…"

"It's been ages since we had a proper family activity!" the Mr. Handy cried out. "How about Checkers…or perhaps Charades, hmm? Shaun does love that game. Is…is the lad with you?"

Taylor just shook her head. "He's gone…they took him…"

Both human and robot were silent for a while before Codsworth shook his metallic body and let out a sigh.

"It's worse than I thought! Oh dear…Hmm-hmm…Aha! You're suffering…let's see…from hunger-induced paranoia…how else would you be saying all these terrible things…?"

"Codsworth…look, I…"

"No…no…no! That is just terrible! I cannot believe it…but…it is to be expected. Not eating properly for 200 years would do that, I'm afraid…"

Taylor blinked and then stared up at the robot, eyes widened.

Did he just…did he just say…?

No.

That couldn't be right…

No…no…that…that couldn't be right…!

"Codsworth…are…are you sure…?" Perhaps his internal clock was wrong. Perhaps he meant to say 20 years, instead…but no…even then it wouldn't be…but…why would Codsworth lie…why would he—

"Perhaps a little bit over 210 actually, mum…" Codsworth told her, matter-of-factly. "Give or take a little for the Earth's rotation and some minor dings to the ole' chronometer…that means you're two centuries late for dinner! Hahaha! Perhaps I can whip you up a snack? You must be—"

"Codsworth!"

"Mum!"

"That's not the truth is it!?" Taylor was up again, a bit hysterical and a little bit mad. She had grabbed the Mr. Handy's body and was shaking it a bit as if trying to fix a problem that wasn't there. "That can't be right! It can't be 200 years!"

"Madam! Please! Please! Control yourself!" the robot cried out, using a small metallic hand to hold her wrist. "Please! Please! It's the truth! Now…please let's just…let's just lie down, shall we…? Perhaps a breath of fresh air would make you feel better, yes?"

But Taylor was on her knees again, with tears on her eyes.

200 years.

She couldn't believe it.

The bastards at Vault-Tec had finally done it.

They had taken her future and crumbled it into tiny little pieces and destroyed her family.

Their little experiment had been a success…for the most part.

She had lived…no…she and those others had lived for over 200 years only to be killed by a minor malfunction. Nate was dead and she was not and their son was gone. And now, she was being comforted by her old Mr. Handy robot that she had left behind.

"Ah…mum…perhaps…umm…some tea would make you feel better? Oh no! What am I saying…? Coffee…coffee is the best pick-me upper! That should do it, right?" Taylor looked up, and stared at the robot as it went back into the house before he cried out again. "Oh! What am I thinking!? There's no coffee or tea here!" Codsworth was back outside with Taylor and he was shaking a small hand at her. "Don't you worry, mum! I will be right back! I just need to go to the local mart and get you some coffee!"

"Codsworth…wait…I…"

But the robot was already out of the wrecked patio and floating on what remained of the sidewalk before he cried out again.

"Oh! What am I thinking!? That old mart was closed years ago! Oh dear…no…what do…I…"

"Codsworth!"

The Mr. Handy stopped floating and turned to stare at her; Taylor was up again, brushing her tears away as she walked towards him.

"Codsworth," she said again. "…what's going on…? Are…are you alright…?"

Codsworth was silent for a while before he began to cry, much to the young woman's shock.

"Codsworth!"

"I…I…Oh mum…it's been absolutely horrible! Two centuries! Two! With no one to talk to, no one to serve!" He floated towards the house and extended a metallic hand at it. "I spent the first ten years trying to keep the floor waxed, but nothing gets out nuclear fallout from vinyl wood. NOTHING!" Taylor blinked and but said nothing as the robot went on with his tirade. "And the house! Oh! This poor house! How do you dust a collapsed house!? And the car! The car! How do you polish rust!?"

The young woman just stared at Mr. Handy as he cried out again.

Poor guy.

She really didn't know how to comfort a robot…but at least she wasn't the only one having a mental breakdown.

 **111-111-111-111**

Eventually, after calming the Mr. Handy robot down, Taylor decided to see what was left of her old house.

She tried not to cry when she saw the destruction.

Everything was in shambles (except a few parts here and there that had been kept cleaned by Codsworth over the years) with burned marks here and there. Surprisingly, the couch was almost intact as was most of the kitchen. She had expected the house to collapse at any moment but Codsworth assured her that there was a twenty-five percent chance of that ever happening.

(Twenty-five…that was a good percentage if you wanted to get crushed by your house—Taylor decided to instead sleep outside, better for everyone and her health.)

Her bedroom was a mess. The pillows and mattress were gone—Codsworth mentioned a pair of thieves running amok a hundred years back but since then no one else had returned—their clothes, too, were gone well, most of them anyway. She had found one of Nate's old military jackets and had decided to wear it for a while (she could also pretend Nate was still here and was giving her the hug she so desperately wanted).

When she came to Shaun's room, she let out a few tears as she went around the place.

The crib was still there as was the mobile; Nate had fixed it up a few days (centuries) back. His rattle and his 'SPECIAL' book were on the floor, dirty and forgotten. The room, the room she and Nate had worked on for months…it was…

Her baby was gone. This room wasn't worth it anymore.

Taylor didn't even know how to feel as she tried to get the crib mobile to move; she needed to find her son, she had promised herself that she would find her little boy. But, how?

She didn't know where to start.

She didn't know where to go and look for help.

She was 200 years into the future and she didn't know how much the world had changed while she had been sleeping.

If the giant roaches back at the vault were any indication, the world had changed a lot and not for the better. Still, Taylor couldn't just sit down and lose hope and wait till a miracle happened. She wouldn't find Shaun while feeling sorry for herself but what else could she do.

A law degree wouldn't be able to help her in this new world and she knew it.

* * *

The days came and went and Taylor had managed herself quite well with a little help from Codsworth.

She and the robot had gone about the ruins of Sanctuary and found a few things to salvage here and there; for one thing, Taylor had found a proper mattress and a few blankets. She was still sleeping outside, though, much to Codsworth's chagrin but the young woman would rather not take any chances.

As for food, well, she had learned that even after 200 years, the food from back then was rather good, despite, you know, the years. She had even been forced to cook a dead dog she and Codsworth had found while they were exploring the ruins—she had tried not to throw up after she had a taste. Still, she had to learn to live in this new world and not be picky with her meals but it was a difficult process.

Most of the time, she spent it reading a few books that had survived and looking at her Pip-Boy's map.

She didn't have much of a plan to go on.

She lacked any experience to survive and the only reason she was even managing was because of Codsworth. Taylor had tried to practice shooting her new gun but after missing her intended target, an empty Nuka cola bottle, she had given up and decided to not waste ammo anymore. She only hoped she could scare anyone that would dare to come around because she doubted she'll last much in a firefight unless she had a plan.

As for finding other people, she didn't have much information to go on.

Codsworth had been kind enough to tell her that the people that he had met up were none too happy to see him, hence the small bullet holes in his metal casing. Most of them came from Concord, apparently.

She remembered the place.

It was a small town a few miles away and it was relatively safe (at least back in the day). The town was mostly full of tourists every time she and Nate would visit. They always ended their visits with a meal and a visit to the old Museum of Freedom…it never got old.

She wondered if the town was worse off than Sanctuary but at least she knew humans were still around. Whether they were friendly or not, well, Taylor would have to go and find out.

 **111-111-111-111**

Concord was a long way off by foot but it wasn't like Taylor to complain.

Codsworth had stayed behind to 'man the fort', as he so eloquently put it. He had wished the young woman good luck and that he'll have supper ready by eight.

That had been an hour ago, and she was now walking down the street, glancing here and there and watching the cars as she passed by. Most of the cars were rusted beyond recognition with a few starting to lose their pristine look. Her old Corvega back home was similar but then again most of the cars she saw had not been destroyed by a garage cave-in so they pretty much had no excuse.

Too bad she wasn't a mechanic; she bet that if she actually tried, she could get a car running but Taylor would rather not take her chances.

These cars were still nuclear powered and the last thing she wanted was to blow one of these old men up to smithereens. The last thing this street needed was another nuclear explosion.

"Almost there…" Taylor muttered as she glanced at her Pip-Boy again. She was at least a few minutes off from Concord, which was good, still she was rather tired. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the exercise, she just wasn't built for the outdoors like some people. She'll get used to it eventua—

"Woof! Woof!"

Taylor stopped in her tracks and stared.

It was a dog. A German Shepard.

The dog was barking at the ground in the outskirts of the old abandoned Red Rocket station. It growled and growled and Taylor wondered if she should approach the animal.

She didn't know whether the pup was friendly or not and she wasn't willing to take chances, so she walked slowly—too late. The dog had noticed her almost immediately and sent her a suspicious—and adorable—look. It tilted its head at her and then returned to growling at the ground.

 _Is he…is he looking for something…?_ Taylor thought as she inched closer towards the animal. _No…that can't be right…dogs just don't growl at the ground without a reason…and if it was something, the little guy would have dug it up a while back so what is—_

Loud screeching noises stopped Taylor cold in her tracks, before she felt a pain in her leg. She looked down and noticed the most horrifying creature she had ever laid eyes on; it was a mole rat. A giant and horrifying mole rat.

Taylor let out a frightened yell as she shook the mole rat away from her leg, but it was dead set on ripping her leg of, so the young woman slammed the butt of her gun straight to its head. The creature let out a loud yelp before Taylor kicked it away from her.

Then she heard the ground below her being torn apart as a pair of mole rats appeared; they hissed and jumped towards her, but Taylor was faster. She took aimed and fired once, twice. The two mole rats were down, both shot in the head. Still, more mole rats came from the ground and Taylor shot again. She missed, once then twice and she was forced to kick one of the mole rats as she backed away as fast as she could despite her injured leg. Behind her, the dog was barking and biting at the trio of mole rats that had suddenly appeared as well and it seemed to be having better luck than Taylor was having with dealing with the mole rats.

The dog bit unto a mole rat's neck and then threw the body towards its companions, who hissed and jumped at the dog, but the dog was faster. It moved out of the way and they slammed into the metal floor before the dog bit them again and shook them about.

Meanwhile, Taylor continued to shot at the mole rats and managed to kill one of them before the other managed to jump straight at her; she cried out and raised her arm to defend herself. As luck would have it, the mole rat bit hard unto the Pip-Boy, just barely protecting Taylor's hand from a possible bite.

She raised her arm and slammed the biting mole rat hard on the door of a car; it cried out and let go as Taylor finished it with a kick. Then, she began looking around, pointing her gun as if waiting for more of those nasty things to come out.

But then she heard a playful bark from nearby and she knew that those little monsters were truly gone.

 **111-111-111-111**

The dog turned out to be rather friendlier than what Taylor was expecting.

Soon after their encounter with those mutant mole rats, it had ran towards Taylor and tried to lick her injured leg. The young woman had been touched but still, she didn't let the pup lick the blood off. For all she knew, the dog could accidently get her leg infected and that's the last thing she wanted.

A quick shot of a Stimpack and a pair of bandages had done the job and while she didn't feel great, at least Taylor could continue walking towards Concord no problem.

The dog had decided to follow her and after a while of walking, Taylor had just patted its head and said, "Well…I guess we're sticking together, boy."

"Woof!"

After what seemed like hours, Taylor and the dog finally arrived to the outskirts of Concord.

The town was frankly better off than Sanctuary Hills, but it was much less noticeable. Buildings were still standing but doors and windows were missing and the trees and grass that once decorated the beautiful streets were gone.

She was slightly more disturbed of the silence however after all, Codsworth had mentioned that people were nearby so that couldn't…wait…

The dog had begun growling and was staring at the street, poised and alert. Taylor took out her gun and walked slowly towards away from the street and towards the alleys to hide behind the buildings.

She could hear them all now…the gunshots and the screaming.

Taylor had thought those mole rats were bad and now it was about to get much worse.

* * *

Preston Garvey was a survivor.

He had survived the extermination of his fellow Minutemen and the Massacre of Quincy. He had also survived back in Lexington and now, he wondered if he was going to be gunned down by raiders for making a stupid choice.

Still, they had not much to go on.

By the time he and the remaining survivors noticed they were in trouble, it was already too late for them. The raiders had surrounded them almost immediately after they got to Concord. Out of the eight that had survived the massacre in Lexington, only five remained.

He had failed them and now, they were surrounded from all sides as the bastards shot them here and there and some idiot's dog was barking in the distance and—

"Preston! Some chick just got inside the place, eh!" Sturges cried out, as he took aim at another raider and shot. "She's been giving trouble to those raiders…shooting here and there and that dog of hers is a real beast!"

Preston looked up from his hiding place and noticed the young woman taking aim—and missing—one of the raiders nearby. She hid under a column again as the raider returned fire.

She was young, probably in her twenties, with long black hair that she kept tied with a loose ponytail. She also wore an old military jacket with blue pants; a rather odd combination if Preston said so himself.

The poor gal looked positively frightened, as if debating her next course of action every time she took a shot.

"She's a terrible shot," Sturges commented, shaking his head as the stranger missed a second and third time. The fourth one got the raider in the arm, distracting him, before Preston quickly took aim and shot. Poor bastard was gone before he could retaliate.

The girl stared right at Preston as he cried, "Come here! Now!"

 **111-111-111-111**

Taylor counted at least five people. Two of them, probably a couple, were off to side being miserable, with the woman glaring at her from time to time. An older woman, probably in her late fifties, sat in a chair, and stared at her curiously, meanwhile the two men, Sturges and Preston, explained to her what was going on.

They were a group of survivors from the town of Quincy and after making their way to Lexington ran into a large number of ghouls—whatever they were supposed to be although she doubted they were evil spirits of some kind—until they finally reached Concord.

The man, Preston Garvey, explained how they had become trapped in this museum and thanked her for coming to help…not that Taylor had much of a choice. The minute the people outside, or raiders as they were called, noticed her, they started shooting at her and the poor dog.

She managed to outrun them by trying to scare them off with her shooting—she did hit a couple of them in the arm and chest but otherwise she didn't do a good job keeping them off their backs.

She just couldn't outright kill someone…at least…that's what she kept telling herself as she went on shooting and ran inside the museum for cover.

Now she was here, with the last member of the so-called Minutemen and the only plan they had was the old vertibird that had crashed on the roof.

"…one of the old girl's passengers left behind a seriously sweet goody," Sturges said, smiling. "An old T-45 Power Armor. Military Issued. Talk about some good luck!"

Ah! Power Armor…finally something she was familiar with…somewhat.

They had been commissioned by the army during the war. Heavy and hard to go down, the Power Armor was a favorite amongst the army brass and was used to as advertisement in those old army recruitment posters pasted all over Boston: "Courage today, Victory tomorrow!"

(For some reason or another, Taylor had the slight suspicion that the Power Armor wasn't used to keep the Chinese at bay these days.)

"…a Power Armor…?"

"Yep!"

"…and it's been there for a while now…?"

"The raiders were probably just setting up shop when we showed up," Preston explained, noticing the odd look Taylor gave them. "So the armor is safe…for now."

"…and before you ask, yes, we did try going after it but it's a little hard to avoid the bullets." Sturges told her with a grin.

"So…how do you plan on going up on this…?"

Preston and Sturges gave her a look; Taylor already regretted coming here.

"Well…" Sturges began.

"Look…I know it's a lot to ask…but…could you…could you go and get that old Power Armor…the old thing could be useful to fight off those raiders."

"Wait…wait…I don't even know how to us that thing!" Taylor cried out. The dog at her feet whined as if agreeing with her. "Why in the world would you think—"

"Because you're a poor shot and me and Preston, here, can keep you from getting killed while you fetch the armor," Sturges told her, matter-of-factly. "We distract the bastards while you get the armor…I mean, it can't be that hard to use. I've seen raiders use pieces of it, and some of them are as dumb as rocks!"

 _But I don't have military training!_ Taylor wanted to say and then stopped herself.

Preston and Sturges were right, to some extent. She was a terrible shot.

She had missed most of her shots when she came to Concord and was now low on bullets.

She had come to Concord to ask if anyone had seen a baby and now this. She had to own up to it, even if she didn't want to. She needed to survive in order to see her little boy again (and kill that bastard that killed Nate).

"Fine…just…just tell me what needs to be done…"

Taylor only hoped she wouldn't regret it.


	3. Knight in Rusty Power Armor

A/N: Thanks, xXFallenSakuraXx52, for telling me about my little error.

And sorry for the inconvenience.

* * *

 _When the future becomes the past, remind me where I'm supposed to be living in._

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Knight in Rusty Power Armor**

After getting the gist on how to get the Power Armor working, Taylor was on her way. The dog stayed behind, surprisingly obeying the young woman when she told him to stay. While she wouldn't have minded the dog's company in retrieving the armor, Taylor knew that the less attention she brought to herself while she recovered the armor would be better for everyone involved.

One her way to the crash site just a stairway ahead, she had been spotted at least twice by a pair of raiders that had entered the museum just as she was making her down the hallway leading to the stairs. Preston and Sturges had begun shooting at them before they could target Taylor, as the young woman ran towards the stairs.

By the time she reached what was left of the roof, the shooting had stopped only to begin again once she closed the door behind her.

The roof was a mess, to put it mildly.

The vertibird had crashed one of its wings deep into the museum, leaving a large opening for sunlight to pass through. Other than a few broken parts, the vertibird was rather complete, even after two-hundred years resting on the top of this building. And then, there was the Power Armor.

It stood there, tall and imposing, promising righteous fury to all who stood on its way…but it just stood there. The armor Taylor remembered seeing was imposing and righteous—well, as righteous as one could get during war or civil misconduct—but this one was not. It was rusty all over the place and a few cracks on its paint job as well. The green colors were gone, mostly replaced by different tones of black. Taylor also spotted a few dents in the arm and leg pieces and even the US Flag that had been tattooed on its shoulder pads was barely visible.

 _A memory of the past,_ Taylor thought as she tapped her finger on the pad. _Is this the future_ _ **you**_ _wanted…?_

She sighed and glanced at the armor up and down.

"Will this thing even work…? It's been…years…"

Sturges had assured her it would work and he seemed so sure about it that Taylor didn't dare to question it.

He had said that he had seen raiders use pieces of the armor but still they were pieces, this…this was a full set of military issued Power Armor. The same Power Armor that had won the war years ago (and set the world into chaos while it was at it).

Taylor didn't even know how to use a gun properly and this…

What credentials did you need? Any physical training? Medical training? Anything…training? How did you even put this thing on!?

(Nate had never worn one of these that much she knew and even then, he had never talked much about the war. Not that she could blame him…if only…things had been different…)

More shooting and shouting came from downstairs, as Taylor stopped looking at the armor and tried to get the thing to open…or something like that. She noticed a valve on the armor's back, which Sturges had mentioned would get the thing to open.

Open the whole thing? Or would the armor fall to tiny little pieces once she turned the valve, Taylor wondered.

She heard more shouting and gunshots, and could faintly hear unfamiliar voices coming from the stairs.

Taylor didn't think much of what would happen after, as she turned the valve as fast as she could. The valve was just as rusty as the armor and was hard to move, but after what seemed like forever, the valve began to turn and Taylor heard a small click emanating from the armor.

The young woman stepped back as she watched in wonder as the back of the Power Armor began to open up. The arms, the legs, the chest, the back of the head…like a…

 _It's like a cocoon…_ Taylor thought as she walked closer. She stopped in front of the open armor as she heard more gunshots and screaming…they were getting closer now! But how in the world would she put this thing on!?

She walked towards the armor and put her arms and legs in the empty sockets of the armor surprised that despite its size, the Pip-Boy had fit in the armor too, and then looked down at a small control panel near the chest area. Perhaps if she could get her arms to move towa—and then, she heard the armor's screeching gears as it closed behind her. The hissing stopped and then everything went dark and—

She was back in the vault. She was back in that dark and cold place, sealed shut…unable to do anything as Nate was shot and Shaun was taken…she was…

"ACK!"

The lights went back on inside the suit and Taylor was moving now but she was in a panic.

She took a few steps back and before she could stop herself, she slammed the armored shell hard against a nearby window. The window and most of the remaining wall broke under the armor and its occupant's weight. Taylor tried to grab onto something as she felt her body falling through the window but the armor's hold was too strong and instead fell all the while her hands held a few bits of concrete on them.

 **111-111-111-111**

"She fell down…"

The words were out before Preston could stop himself but all of it was just…it was just so hilariously sad.

He couldn't believe it.

After he and Sturges had dealt with the pair of raiders that had entered the place, they had heard a loud yell and then breaking glass and before anyone knew it, a suit of Power Armor fell to the road below.

Mama Murphy and Sturges were the firsts that had looked down, while Marcy had just groaned in annoyance and Jun had just ignored her. The old woman shook her head as if she had expected something like this to happen and Sturges was trying very hard not to laugh, considering their situation. Preston didn't know whether to feel sorry for the girl or for his decision to send her to go and get that armor.

At least she had survived the fall.

"You okay down there?" Sturges called out. He grabbed a nearby gun and threw it her way. It fell on her chest piece as she let out another painful groan.

She just sat there, looking rather silly as she grabbed the gun and stared up at Sturges and Mama Murphy.

"…this…this was a bad idea…" her voice echoed back, as Sturges shrugged.

"…Hey, at least you got that Power Armor working…that should keep you alive for a while!"

Preston pushed Sturges aside as he looked at the young woman in armor below them.

"Just please hurry and deal with those raiders!" he yelled, while Sturges just shrugged back.

"You heard the man, lady! Buckle up and get—"

" **GRRRREEEEAAAAAAARRGGGGGG!"**

Everyone froze as the loud roar was heard. No one moved an inch as the roar went on and on.

They could hear something opening in the distance but other than that nothing. Then they heard it. They heard the panicked cries of raiders and their shooting. They even heard the gurgled screams seconds later.

"…sweet…mother of God…" Sturges whispered as they all looked out the window.

The girl was staring too, finally up on her two feet and staring in the distance, finally realizing that something was wrong.

Preston just stood there, staring at the creature rampaging in Concord's streets and then, he looked down at the new girl.

She wouldn't stand a chance. She was dead. She was…

…this was his fault too, huh?

He was a survivor after all…and she…she was dead.

 **111-111-111-111**

Taylor didn't know what she was looking at.

The creature was an odd combination between a lizard and a demon. It looked too out of this world to be real and for a moment Taylor wondered if the gates of hell had opened while she wasn't looking.

It let out another high pitched roar again as it slashed and tore any raiders that were on its path and Taylor just stood there, staring. She just stared at the panic and the blood and…the raiders never stood a chance. Their cries of despair were the last thing anyone would hear as their body was torn apart.

The carnage was sickening but Taylor just couldn't look away.

She was afraid and couldn't move her legs—the armor wasn't as heavy or as dark anymore but she was still afraid.

Taylor questioned her sanity and the reality of things as she stood there, watching as the demon tore everything and everyone apart.

Was that thing real?

Was everything real!?

What…what in god's name was—

"RUN! RUN!"

That was Preston, Taylor realized.

But then, it was too late.

The demon had seen her and was running towards her and growling. It ignored the shooting coming from the building as it ran towards Taylor, who finally managed to get her legs to move.

Yet, she was too heavy. The armor was too heavy and she was—

And then, she felt it.

Something sharp and quick scratched the back of the armor and sent her flying towards the side of the building opposite to the museum. She crashed against the concrete and let out a groan. The armor had protected her but that red beeping in the screen couldn't be good—

The demon roared again.

Taylor was up and shooting with at the thing, despite her difficulty at holding the gun with the armor on. She missed once, twice, but managed to catch the thing by surprise in the chest. It roared and jumped towards her, grabbing her by the leg and sending her towards the front of the museum.

The young woman tried to get up only to be tackled to the ground by the demon. It slashed at the armor again, managing to damage some of the chest plate, before sending her crashing towards a nearby store.

Windows cracked as glass and wood exploded; the beeping was getting louder and the pain was getting unbearable.

Taylor was not getting cut to pieces, but every time that thing threw her or scratched her with its giant claws, she felt the metal against her skin. The bite she had received from those giant mole rats was beginning to act up but nothing was compared to the pain all over her body.

She'll die here.

She'll die and Shaun would still be missing…

…she'll never get to see her baby again and…

The demon grabbed her again, this time by the arm and swung her towards a car. Taylor let out a yelp as she crashed into the car, breaking the windows and flattening its top; she quickly slid towards the side. She saw a hand missing from its body, the finger on the trigger and while panicked, Taylor grabbed the gun away from the dead and then, fired.

She missed, again, but the damage was bigger now.

One of the bullets had managed to pierce one of its eyes…but its pain didn't last for long as it dashed towards Taylor again, before grabbing her by the chest and raising her up. She cried out in pain as the demon pierced her hard with its claw before throwing her to the side.

The armor's chest piece was torn; the metal digging into her chest like a giant needle. Taylor let out another groan and tried to stand up.

She could hear the creature roaring and the gunshots.

Preston and the others had distracted the demon but…

But she couldn't do anything.

She was weak and useless.

Had she made a mistake by coming here?

She was way over her head and now she was going to die for her own carelessness…but…no…

Taylor stood up slowly, turning her head and watching as the demon roared at Preston and Sturges as they shoot it with everything they had. It was in front of the museum, growling and dodging bullets.

They wouldn't last much longer.

But neither would Taylor.

She was a terrible shot inside a rusty armor that was breaking apart and everything hurt. And she had no way to attack this thing.

The best she could hope for was to hide in the buildings but she knew it would be pointless. Once that thing got inside it would all be over for her. Now the only thing that stood before her, were broken buildings and cars and a demon…

…and cars.

Cars…with…

Of course! But could it work!?

If any of these cars were of the nuclear powered type then…but what if the town came down with it all…? What if…?

Taylor shook her head as she took aim at the nearest car that was parked in front of an old store; the demon was roaring again and it was ready to rush towards the museum. The young woman took a deep breath as she began to fire at the vehicle.

The shooting caught the demon's attention and it turned towards her.

Taylor was still shooting at the car as the creature ran towards her.

It was getting closer…

Taylor was still shooting…

…and then…

 **BOOOMMM!**

An explosion engulfed the side of the demon as it jumped; half of its body engulfed in flames of nuclear power. It was still alive and even as it burned, it rushed towards Taylor, who in a panic began shooting.

Surprisingly, she didn't miss this time but it did little to stop the rage fueled thing. It scratched and slashed, hitting the armor with those large claws as Taylor cried out in pain…

 **BOOOMMMM!**

Another explosion sent the demon down.

Another car had caught on fire while the demon and Taylor were busy trying to kill each other and blew up while no one was looking.

The young woman cried out in pain as she slammed against the concrete.

She could hear the faint growling of the creature nearby. It dragged its body with its long hand, jaws opening and closing and its only eye glaring at her.

Taylor tried getting up, but only managed to sit up and tried to drag herself away from the fallen demon. Then, she hit a wall, or rather what was left of it anyway. She noticed more bodies nearby, a few more raiders holding to what appeared to be old tire irons in their hands.

Still, the creature kept on dragging itself towards her, faster now and it was getting closer. Taylor knew it still had a lot of fight in it, even after taking two small nuclear explosions in the back and its flesh burning off and Taylor…Taylor couldn't even stand up straight. If that thing managed to reach her, then it was too late—

The demon had grabbed her by her leg—her injured one, she noted—and was now dragging her towards it. Taylor tried to grab onto something but the thing was strong, even with half of its face burned and its eye gone.

Without thinking, Taylor grabbed something—anything—and then, slammed it hard, once, twice, on the demon's head once she got closer. It didn't do anything at first and then, she heard a strange sound and the dragging stopped.

Taylor opened her eyes and from beyond the armor saw the creature and the tire iron she had buried on its head.


	4. Sanctuary

A/N: Finally an update! Sorry for the delay, had a small author's block but the chapter is here...and before the end of the year too.

For now, just enjoy and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

* * *

 _Should one face the past? Or confront the present?_

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Sanctuary**

Preston and the others had made it to the lobby of the museum the moment the explosions stopped.

They were wary and tired and confused; what had happened to the Deathclaw? What had happened to the girl? Was she dead…? Was she alive…?

Was she—

The doors of the museum opened, loudly crashing against the wall as Taylor walked in.

She was balancing around like a drunkard, before falling to her knees and after a few seconds she turned her armored head towards Preston Gravey and cried out, "What the hell was that!?"

 **111-111-111-111**

The dog whined at Taylor's feet as Mama Murphy applied a few bandages on her arm.

Everything hurt; her sore leg felt like it was about to fall off, her arms and face were covered in scratches and she had trouble breathing.

Preston had told her she was lucky to be alive and Taylor didn't know what to think.

A couple of days back—no centuries back—she was enjoying her day with her family then the bombs fell and now she was in this hell of a world where demons sprung out of the ground and tore men and women apart.

And she had been worried about cockroaches.

"You should count yourself lucky, kid…not many survive Deathclaw attacks…" Murphy told her as she finished warping the bandages around her arm.

"That demon had a name…!? And there's more!?" Taylor shuddered and winced as the older woman grinned in amusement.

"Demon's about right," Sturges remarked, sitting next to Taylor and giving her a smile. "And yes, there's more of those 'demons' and yeah…the world's pretty fucked up."

And…Taylor was worried about insects; yep, definitely not going to worry so much of them now.

"Which begs the question," Preston began. "Where are you from?"

"Huh?"

"Where are you from stranger?"

"…umm…" Taylor was a bit unsettled by the question. Should she lie or tell the truth? Could she even trust them? Sure, they seemed like nice people but what if they were like those people out there—what if they were raiders? What if—

"I can tell you're uncomfortable with the truth," Murphy said after a while. Taylor gave her a look and heard a chuckle next to her.

"Don't be so surprised! Mama Murphy's got the gift! She can see into the future!"

"And the past if the Sight is willing." Murphy finished, giving Taylor a wink. "I have…seen you…"

"Seen me…? What…?"

Oh, wonderful…a psychic…and if she was anything like the ones back in her day—funny—she'll try to tell her everything she wanted to hear and break her heart when it didn't happen. But Mama Murphy seemed like a nice lady and she had helped her out with her bruises and cuts so…she could spare to listen to her 'fortune', she had nothing to lose after all.

"…Ah…yes…I have seen you…trapped in darkness…trapped in a nuclear winter…"

("Here she goes again…" the woman, Marcy, muttered nearby.)

"A cold, winter…with no escape…except you got out…" Murphy closed her eyes and sighed. "You are a relic of the past…" She opened one eye and stared at Taylor, who had her mouth half opened, blinking in surprise while the rest of Murphy's group stared at them both, with Marcy muttering under her breath that the "old lady's saying shit again".

"…how…how…" Taylor muttered only for Murphy to shake her head.

"You are too old and yet too young…lost in a world you left behind…"

Taylor closed her eyes tight as the tears threatened to spill out.

Yes, old Mama Murphy was right. She was a relic…she was so lost in this new world. Her house was a mere ruin and her husband and child were gone. The only reminder of her past was Codsworth and even he was old and rusty and too lost in the past to care about the present.

"Ah…what was all that, Murphy?" Sturges wondered, as Taylor opened her eyes again. "What's with all that cryptic shenanigans anyway? You get what she's saying?" He turned to Taylor, confusion in his eyes.

"…I…yeah…"

"You hardly look like a relic to me," Preston replied, eyeing her up and down. "And you still haven't answered the question."

"…Sanctuary…"

"Ah! That place! Ha! Mama Murphy mentioned that place in her visions, too! What a coincidence! But I thought that place was abandoned…" Sturges said.

"…I see…a new settler then…" Preston nodded.

"Who knows nothing about this new world that has greeted her," Murphy told him, shaking her head. "It's hard to believe…even for me, who has seen the Sight…I should be jealous of you."

Taylor gave her a nervous smile, understanding the implications of her last remark.

Mama Murphy was a woman past her prime and Taylor…Taylor was more than two-hundred years old and still kicking. Well, maybe kicking wasn't the right word.

"Still…it is unfortunate that your first experiences in this new world are 'demons'…" Murphy murmured.

"…I…I…I kinda ran into giant mole rats before coming here…so…"

"Ah…even worse..."

 **111-111-111-111**

The trek to Sanctuary Hills was a quite one; Sturges had volunteered to use the barely recognizable Power Armor seeing as Taylor was barely able to stand up, much less use it.

So, the group walked slowly towards Sanctuary, while Preston and Sturges stood watch with Taylor's canine companion acting as a special look-out and warning them about incoming critters or humans that would try to hurt them.

All the while, Preston had been questioning Taylor about the status of the Sanctuary and how long she had been there and…if they were other people there.

"…no…not anymore anyway…"

"…oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean—"

"It's fine…they've been gone for a long time, though…and I didn't even know them that well…so it's fine…"

And the conversation ended at that.

At least, Preston was assured that the place was big enough and empty enough and had a robot living there as well so they would be fine.

"A robot, you say?" Sturges asked, walking beside Taylor and Murphy, who was helping the former walk. "What kind?"

"A Mr. Handy…" Taylor told him, eyeing him nervously.

"…where you find one that wasn't crazy?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know…crazy? Gone a little hard on them circuits?" Taylor thought about it for a bit and shook her head.

"He was a little dramatic…but otherwise fine."

"Bugger…he's going to be difficult then…"

"Umm…why…would he be difficult? Codsworth isn't that bad company once you get used to him…"

"And you gave him a name! Damn it! I wanted to scrap it for pieces…"

"Wait! Why!?"

"Need all we need to survive and Mr. Handys have a few things that might help us built a generator of some sort...but if it is yours…I'll keep my fingers off…" Sturges tried not to sound too nervous as he noticed the glaring Taylor behind the armor's helmet.

"… _Thank you_ …"

"No problem!" And he was walking behind them again as the dog trotted nearby looking adorably confused by it all.

"Please don't mind Sturges, he didn't mean anything by it…" Preston told her, smiling. "He just can't seem to keep his fingers off the electronics."

"Do tell him to keep his hands out of Codsworth, please," Taylor said, shaking her head. "He's…he's the only one I have left…" Preston nodded.

"Will do."

* * *

The newcomers had settled down quite well in their new home of Sanctuary and while it wasn't the best place, it was better than that old Museum and the constant threat of raiders.

A couple of days after their arrival, Preston and the others got to work.

Jun and Sturges had managed to scrap a few pieces of wood from the broken down houses and with a little help from Codsworth, melded a few pieces of metal together and with the pieces, managed to create a makeshift wall around a few houses of Sanctuary leaving an opening by the old bridge.

Preston, along with Mama Murphy, scavenged around the area to find anything that Taylor might have missed the first time and found a few things here and there that Taylor didn't know they could reuse.

Meanwhile, Marcy had been relegated to making lunch for the group, not that she minded. So long as she didn't get a few stitches she was fine with making food.

And while Taylor still was limping about, she too, got to work.

Mainly, she had decided to move the skeletal remains of her neighbors out of the way.

She never thought it would be so hard.

The bones weren't heavy, no, but they reminded Taylor of a time long gone.

They were the remains of the old world, just like her except they had been taken too soon. They had died were they stood, forever lost to time and nuclear detonations.

They had been the lucky ones…dead but lucky ones indeed.

(Many people would have disagreed and say she was lucky to be alive…but how can anyone be luckier than the dead?)

Taylor sighed as she gently put the remains into a new hole.

It would take her all day to put these people to rest. But she had the time…and time was the only thing she could give.

 **111-111-111-111**

Taylor was an odd girl, Preston decided.

She was odd and out of touch with the world…and apparently a 'relic' of some sort.

Perhaps she had been shielded from the terrors of the Wasteland when young, he reasoned. Maybe her parents were the type to sugarcoat the world around her to make things easier for her. But then, she didn't make sense.

The girl had too much knowledge of the past—people like that were uncommon and very rare—and acted as if the world had suddenly gone mad. Well, maybe Preston was exaggerating, but she clearly looked like she didn't belong in the Wastes…much less the Commonwealth. Perhaps she had been a vault dweller, yeah, that would explain her lost attitude and terrible shot…but even then, he had heard stories of vaults opening their doors to the outside world so not knowing what to expect once she got out of the vault was a little suspicious.

Maybe there was some truth about what Mama Murphy said, that Taylor was some 'relic of the past' but even then, he really didn't buy it. Sure, he had believed her when she told them about finding a safe haven in Sanctuary but believing this young lady was a 'relic' was hard to believe.

She wasn't a ghoul, for one. Her skin—and mind—were still quite intact.

Still, the way she and that Mister Handy went about their day, talking about the past…of the Pre-War as if they had been there themselves…something about some Captain Cosmos fellow or some Silver Shroud other guy. Sometimes they talked about the television but Preston knew those things were extinct as half of the population of Earth. The only thing good these days was the radio and even then hearing the tunes offered very little comfort to the people in the Commonwealth.

Maybe Mama Murphy had been telling the truth…or maybe Preston was thinking too hard about it.

Taylor wasn't from the way-back-then…that was ridiculous.

 **111-111-111-111**

A few days later, after building the wall around Sanctuary, Preston found Taylor shooting a Nuka cola bottle and missing every single time.

The Mr. Handy and the dog (or Dogmeat, as Sturges so cheerfully called him) stood nearby and watched—or yawned in the dog's case—as Taylor missed shot after shot.

"…well…Mum…your aim is getting better…why, just seconds ago you managed to nip the thing by the bud!"

"Thank you, Codsworth…but I doubt that'll help much…" Taylor muttered

"True…" Preston noted, causing all three to turn to face him. "You won't last much if you keep missing…or in this case, running out of bullets…" Taylor flinched.

"…I bet it's the worst shooting you have seen, huh?"

"Not really…nerves can make for poor shooting buddies…"

"Ha…I wish it was just the nerves, though…" Taylor let out a loud sigh and sat next to Dogmeat, as the latter placed a paw on her knee.

"So…what's with all the shooting practice?" Preston asked eyeing the holes near the Nuka cola bottle.

"I…I'm going to be leaving soon…" Preston blinked.

"Leaving? Why?"

"…I…I'm looking for someone…"

"Huh? I thought you said you were by your lonesome."

"I lied…" Taylor sighed again and turned to face the Minuteman. "Listen…I…when I woke up from…no…I…" The woman shook her head. "I didn't always live here…"

"Yeah…I kinda figured that."

"I've been here only for a few days…just recently got…out of the vault…"

"Ah! A vault dweller! It's been a while since I heard of one of you."

"…huh…" Taylor muttered, before shaking her head. "I don't think you've heard of vault dwellers like me…"

"Ah, yes…relics like you are rare indeed," Preston told her, smiling. "Look, it's not like I don't believe you—"

"And you don't."

"Maybe a little…it's kinda of hard to believe that you are over 200 years old."

"210, actually," Codsworth replied, making the Minuteman turn towards the robot and blink.

"Okay, then…" Preston gave the young woman a look but she just shrugged.

"Look…he's telling the truth…hell, I'm telling the truth and I can hardly believe it."

"…Huh."

"Look…maybe we can talk about this some other time…"

"Yeah, maybe…but still…" Preston looked at the holes on the wall and then back at Taylor. "You are not planning on leaving Sanctuary with that aim, are you?"

"Of course not! I'm not that stubborn…but I really want to find my so—this person…" Preston raised an eyebrow at that last part but said nothing. "And I've been putting it off for days now…and…and…"

"You think if you don't move now, you'll lose the trail?"

"Not exactly…I don't even know where to start…"

"You do know the Commonwealth is not a safe place, right? You'll hardly make it out there with aiming like that…"

"And that's why I'm practicing…or trying to…"

"Tell you what…I still owe you for that time in Concord and the whole mess with the 'demon'."

"Are you sure…?"

"Sure, besides it couldn't hurt to have a few other fighters around…even if their aiming is bad…and whatever I teach you could help you out."

"I'm…I'm not too sure…"

"Trust me…you'll need to shoot straight, eventually and you want to adapt quickly out here."

"…I'm guessing this will take a while…"

"If you're a good student, it won't take much at all…so," he extended a hand towards Taylor. "What do you say?" The woman eyed the hand and then nodded before shaking hands with Preston.

"Alright then…let's see if I'm worth the effort."

"Hey, you saved us, so I say you're worth for something."


	5. The First Step

_When the wind blows, the cradle will fall._

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The First Step**

The raiders had come in the cover of night; they had been spotted easily and ran for cover before the shooting began.

One had managed to enter a house—Taylor's old dilapidated home—only to receive a shot in the head for his trouble, Taylor breathing fast and uneasy as the shooting stopped outside.

Preston had come to check on her a couple of minutes later and found her just staring at nothing and breathing fast, the dog whining by her side. It took him one second to realize what had happened and nodded, "I'll get 'im out," he said and dragged the undesirable dead out of her home.

Taylor waited until both Preston and the body were gone to run straight into the bathroom and throw up.

 **111-111-111-111**

 _Oh god…oh god…oh god…!_

She had killed a man…a human being—a monster of a man but a man all the same.

Taylor had never thought once in her life she'll kill anyone.

(Nate had told her stories on those sleepless nights; how he had shot a man between the eyes and wept as he kept on shooting. There was nothing glorious or satisfactory about it all—he didn't feel sorry for the dead but he wept all the same.)

She knew that if she hadn't killed him, she would have died, Preston told her as much but still a part of her called her a monster for even pulling the trigger.

She had killed a demon—a deathclaw!—and yet when she shot a man, she had just stopped; she recalled a lecture, long ago, about how a man and an animal were different but not by much: _"A man is only superior because of his or her intellect…an animal is superior because of its desire to live…man swim in vices and old habits and kill themselves slowly each day…an animal could die in seconds and yet they would be superior, why? Because they just are."_

No one had understood the professor's words and many wondered what it had to do with the lesson at all…but now that Taylor killed a man, she understood, somewhat.

She was a woman from a world long gone—she was not a soldier, nor a killer, she was going to open her own law firm with her old friend Lulu; Lulu had told her they'll make a killing and take the court by storm (and also money, they couldn't forget the money after all). Taylor had laughed then but now…now she just stood there in silence, going through her head the laws she had broken…manslaughter came to mind first, then carrying a gun without a permit, then—

A knock on her door…well, more like a knock on the side of it, since they house had no door anymore.

Preston walked in, looking a little haggard with bits of blood on his pretty coat. He had his rifle strapped to his back and his hat was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey…" he began only for Taylor to shake her head.

"…this…this is horrible…"

"It's not as bad as you think…"

"…but…but I…"

"He could have killed you and then what?"

"…I…I've never killed a man before…"

"And you'll rather he kill you…?" Preston asked after a while.

Taylor was silent; he was right of course.

No one wanted to die, and those who did were ready to accept it.

Had Taylor being ready to die?

(Had Nate?)

No…she hadn't wanted to die. She was afraid and had just acted…and…and…

But her mind was stuck in the past. The laws she had broken…the family whose hearts she broke…a man that probably had children, sisters, brothers…a man that had a life…and she had extinguished it.

She had read cases like this; a man or woman protecting their life or that of a loved one…had they truly not felt a thing? Had an ounce of guilt not wondered into their mind as the stranger lay there dead?

She was not sorry the man was dead just that she had killed him.

Like Nate.

She was sorry for the killing but not the dead.

"…how…how can you take this…?"

"Killing raiders…?"

"No…no…just...just killing in general?"

Preston was smiling then, a sad but significant smile.

"There's no way around it…" he told her. "People die every day, some because they get a little radiation sickness and others just because a few decided to shoot them for sport. You get used to it. Life is full of harsh lessons…and this one is one of them…" He glanced down at the trail of blood on the floor. "Life isn't like it was back then, you know…or was it always like this?"

Taylor closed her eyes.

"…not really…it wasn't perfect…but it wasn't…wasn't much like this…"

But what could she really tell Preston?

She had read many cases; killings, rapes, arsonists, child abusers, etc.

No, the world back then had never been perfect and she could say it was a bit like the world now, just sugarcoated by laws and men in fancy suits, telling people that order reigned supreme but that was but a lie.

Even before the Resource Wars, life was not perfect; there were killings and neighbors holding old grudges, depraved deviants, and the bombs.

Yes, life back then was never perfect, but it was better.

* * *

Eventually, after a few weeks, Taylor returned to normal…a little bit.

She still had nightmares of the dead man; and then nightmares of Nate and the man that killed him; she recalled the large scar on his face as he laughed and laughed and shoot her husband over and over again.

Her aiming was getting better.

The three bottles had been hit consecutively almost constantly now, but she still had a lot of work to do.

Preston had taught her how to hold certain weapons, from a gun to a rifle to pipes—funny how one could make a gun these days, she'll wonder—to finally grenades.

"You pop it and then throw it and then run," Preston said, only for Sturges to cry out and say,

"Or throw it and shoot it for extra points!"

"Or an early grave," the Minuteman finished, glaring at the other man.

Taylor decided that she'll just make sure—if she ever did use one—to just throw and run.

The Minuteman, too, taught her a few survival skills from skinning mole rats to dogs and bugs—she had tried not to throw up when they did the last one, not that Preston could blame her, very few people liked insect meat—to finally cooking and what not to cook.

"Most foods irradiated to hell and back, but for some reason, the radiation just dies off once you cook it…" Preston had said.

"…you burn the radiation away?" Taylor asked, skeptical.

"We also like to add spices for taste," was Preston's only answer.

Moving aside from cooking, Preston and Sturges taught her a bit about computers; while Taylor knew about computers quite well—she had to use one back at college after all—she never knew how easy it was to hack those things, as Sturges taught her.

"It's a simple matter of using a few keywords…or just finding a weak spot in the operating system…these things were made to last…not so much for security but they're good for managing turrets and such."

"…there's an off option for those, right?"

"…sometimes."

* * *

Taylor had set up a map on the table before her; she had marked a few locations with a pencil, marking x's on some areas and tracing a path. The area were Sanctuary Hills was standing on the map was circled, with a smaller x next to it and the words 'vault' above it.

She had covered the hand drawn map to the one on her Pip-Boy and found that most areas were still quite intact…the question was if they were safe.

The young woman had asked Preston a few questions of the areas around and what things or people wondered around; it was mostly raiders…raiders and bugs and mutants.

Mutants…she had not believed the Minuteman when he told her.

He had described them as fiercely strong, strong and angry and dangerous. They were taller than a normal human and could still talk. They had green skin and ferocious appetites.

"We call 'em Super Mutants," he had explained, shaking his head. "Appeared one day and since then, have not gone away…"

He had also told her about mutated insects and creatures—those she was familiar with—and then, robots and something he called a synth.

She had been confused at first and asked Preston to explain. The Minuteman just shrugged and said, "Bad news, Ty…bad news…you don't want to butt heads with a synth, believe me…they are tougher and meaner than your typical robots and they have a master pulling the strings…"

"A remote controlled robot, then?"

He shrugged again, "A killing machine with an off switch, more like it."

Once she had all the information she could need, Taylor had crafted a map from an old piece of cloth and used a pencil dipped in some improvised ink and started drawing; she drew areas, small circles for small towns and cities, squares for buildings and monuments, and rectangles with little windows for schools or government buildings…finally, she made small, cartoonish, representations of the mutant creatures that Preston had told her about—bugs, animals, mutants, raiders and robots (and synths).

She marked them with numbers; 1 for bugs, mostly common in roads along with 2 for animals. Most of the mutants, 3, were found in populated areas, like the raiders, 4. As for the robots, Taylor figured most stores—and government buildings and private companies—owned old Mr. Handys or in some cases their military equivalent, Mr. Gutsy, so she placed 5 on a few marked locations.

For the synths, however, she had no idea.

She just put them with the robots and hoped that she never ran into one of those.

Taylor had the sneaking suspicion that she wouldn't last long in a fight against those things.

 **111-111-111-111**

With the map finished, and supplies to last, Taylor was ready to set off.

They, especially Preston, had tried to convince her not to go but she had just shook her head and stared in the distance.

"Sorry…but…but I just can't stay here while…this…my…this person is gone…"

"I see…look, Taylor," the Minuteman began only for the young woman to shake her head.

"…I know what you're going to say…please, don't." Taylor smiled. "Thanks for the classes, though…I really appreciate it."

"Are you sure you're going to be fine, though?" Sturges questioned, looking concerned.

"My aim is better…so I better be."

"Ha! Good to hear!"

"Still…" Preston began only for Mama Murphy to pat his arm.

"She'll be fine…her future looks bleak…but if you follow the road towards the diamond, you'll find the answers you are looking for."

"Diamond?" Taylor asked.

"She means Diamond City…safest place in the Commonwealth," Sturges said.

"Or so they say," Murphy finished, shaking her head. "Go there…and perhaps, maybe…you'll find him."

And Taylor nodded and with Dogmeat by her side—and Codsworth crying out that he'll miss her—the young woman turned to Preston once more and shook his hand. "See you around, I hope…"

"See you around…and come back soon, you hear?"

Taylor nodded and then, she made her first step towards the wild.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter, but finally Taylor makes it out of Sanctuary and towards Diamond City...let us hope her journey is a safe one.


End file.
